Both lactose and acidophilus are associated with gastrointestinal health and well being. Lactose causes some individuals gastric upset, while acidophilus helps prevent digestive trouble in some. There is no lactose in acidophilus, despite the fact that you can find the two of them in the same foods, such as yogurt.
Lactose
Lactose is the chemical name for milk sugar, which is a disaccharide composed of the smaller sugars glucose and galactose. Provided you're not lactose intolerant, you break down lactose and absorb the glucose and galactose constituents into the bloodstream. Your cells then take them up and use them as a source of energy. If you're lactose intolerant, however, you can't break down lactose.
DIgestive Upset
People with lactose intolerance experience significant cramping and intestinal bloating when they consume lactose-containing foods. This is because if you're lactose intolerant, you don't produce the enzyme you need to break down milk sugar. It passes into your large intestine where bacteria break it down, producing large quantities of gas, explain Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham in their book "Biochemistry." This is quite uncomfortable.
Acidophilus
Acidophilus is more properly called Lactobacillus acidophilus; it's a species of bacteria that breaks down sugars in dairy products and other foods, explain Drs. Mary Campbell and Shawn Farrell in their book "Biochemistry." Because acidophilus bacteria thrive in some dairy foods, they often occur in tandem with lactose. This is not because one contains the other, however. Acidophilus can break down lactose and use it as a food source, which is why they're so common in certain dairy foods, including yogurt and kefir, which is a fermented drink.
Acidophilus Benefits
Actually, if you're lactose intolerant, acidophilus can benefit you when they're present in food. Most people who are lactose intolerant can handle small amounts of lactose, and acidophilus bacteria break down most of the lactose in dairy when they're present in large quantities. Foods like yogurt still contain lactose, but have so little due to the activity of acidophilus. This means you may be able to eat them without trouble.
References
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D. and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
- "Biochemistry"; Mary Campbell, Ph.D. and Shawn Farrell, Ph.D.; 2005
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